Courtesy: USAT

Led by overall age group women's winner Kristin Villopoto, the U.S. age group women won seven medals, including three gold, at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Long Distance Duathlon World Championships on Sunday in Barcis, Italy.

Defending elite men's world champion Greg Watson (Chadds Ford, Pa.) of the United States finished 11th behind winner Benny Vansteelant of Belgium. Vansteelant finished in 3 hours, 40 minutes, 59 seconds.

Andrea Ratkovic led the U.S. elite women with her eighth-place finish behind winner Erika Csomor of Hungary. Csomor's time was 4:14:33.

Competitors had to complete a 16.5K (three laps of 5.5K); an 80K bike (two laps of 40K) and an 11K run (two laps of 5.5K).

The U.S. elite women's team finished second in the team competition behind Great Britain. The team competition is decided by adding the results of the top three women. Ratkovic (Norman, Okla.), Anissa Seguin (15th; Valencia, Calif.) and Kathy Kasischke (18th; San Diego, Calif.) were the top three for the United States.

But it was the U.S. age group women who brought home the majority of the individual hardware.

Villopoto (Chapel Hill, N.C.) won the 45-49 age group and the overall age group women's race in 4:48:06. She was followed by silver medalist Barbarann Mallory (Littleton, Colo.) in 5:10:58.

Christine Knight (Eagle, Idaho) led a U.S. sweep of the 35-39 age group with her time of 4:57:46. Maggie Freeman (Sea Girt, N.J.) was second in 5:15:35 and Catherine Griffin (Los Angeles, Calif.) was third in 6:03:03.

Melanie Roberts (Indianapolis, Ind.) won the women's 40-44 age group in 4:59:50. Sara Chojnacki (Santa Monica, Calif.) placed second in the 25-29 age group in 5:21:07.

Tim Becker (Seattle, Wash.) was the lone men's medalist, finishing second in the 45-49 age group in 4:15:36.

Complete results can be found at www.fitri.it.

2005 ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championship
May 26, 2005; Barcis, Italy
16.5K run; 80K bike; 11K run

Men
1. Benny Vansteelant (Belgium) 3:40:59; 2. Marcel Zamora (Spain) 3:44:46; 3. Mark McKay (Great Britain) 3:45:49; 4. Armand van der Smissen (Netherlands) 3:46:20; 5. Dirk Strothmann (Germany) 3:47:43; 6. Joerie Vansteelant (Belgium) 3:48:01; 7. Simon Jensen (Denmark) 3:49:21; 8. Koen Maris (Belgium) 3:49:29; 9. Fausto Dotti (Italy) 3:49:52; 10. Alesandro Santamaria (Spain) 3:50:04; 11. Greg Watson (Chadds Ford, Pa.) 3:41:45

Other U.S. Finishers
20. Greg Krause (Denver, Colo.); 22. LeRoy Popowski (Albuquerque, N.M.); 29. Tom Jeffrey (Richmond, Va.); 35. Tim Luchinske (Lafayette, Colo.)

Women
1. Erika Csomor (Hungary) 4:14:33; 2. Ulrike Schwalbe (Germany) 4:14:40; 3. Annie Emmerson (Great Britain) 4:16:40; 4. Tamara Kozulina (Ukraine) 4:18:07; 5. Yvonne van Vlerken (Netherlands) 4:18:47; 6. Nicole Klingler (Liechtenstein) 4:23:29; 7. Ana Casares (Spain) 4:24:58; 8. Andrea Ratkovic (Norman, Okla.) 4:27:46; 9. Mariska Kramer-Postma (Netherlands) 4:29:43; 10. Brassay Reka (Hungary) 4:30:07

Other U.S. Finishers
15. Anissa Seguin (Valencia, Calif.); 18. Kathy Kasischke (San Diego, Calif.); 20. Marjan Huizing (Montgomery Village, Md.)